Tyrone 1-13 Fermanagh 0-9
Tyrone will play Derry once again next weekend in the McKenna Cup final after the holders had seven points to spare over a dogged Fermanagh side at St.Tiernachs Park in Clones on Sunday afternoon.
In the end seven points separated the two sides but for almost three quarters of an hour there was little to chose between the two sides. A key moment in the game arrived seven minutes into the second half when Fermanagh had Eoin Donnelly sent off for a second booking. Prior to his departure he had been the game’s standout player but when the Erne men went down to fourteen Tyrone took over.
Tyrone are safely through to another Bank of Ireland McKenna Cup final but it wasn’t as comfortable as the seven point winning margin at Clones yesterday afternoon would suggest. Tyrone were sluggish in the first half and while they did kick seven wides they could count themselves fortunate to be going in on level terms.
Sean Quigley had the opening three points of the game and it took the Red Hands sixteen minutes to register via a Mark Bradley free. Kieran McGeary then joined the attack to hoist a wonderful effort from distance before Connor McAliskey levelled matters. Ciaran Flaherty put the Erne men back in front but Bradley had the final say of the half from a placed ball.
Tyrone had the luxury of being able to bring on Sean Cavanagh, Mattie Donnelly and Ronan McNamee at half time and those changes coupled with Eoin Donnelly’s departure swayed the contest in favour of the holders as man of the match Colm Cavanagh came to the fore. McAliskey and Bradley both converted further frees while Richard Donnelly and Darren McCurry weighed in with superb efforts from play.
A Quigley free opened Fermanagh’s second half account after fifteen minutes but sixty seconds later it was game over when McAliskey volleyed home from close range. Fermanagh keeper Chris Snow made a brilliant save to deny Richard Donnelly but while Quigley, Conall Jones and Eoin McManus had points for the Erne men Tyrone always looked in control.
Substitutes Sean Cavanagh and Ronan O’Neill both split the posts and despite having defender Rory Brennan sent off late on the Red Hands comfortably held out.
Tyrone – M O’Neill, J Monroe, P Hampsey, C McCarron, N Sludden, R Brennan, K McGeary (0-1), R Donnelly (0-1), C Cavanagh, D Mulgrew, C McCann, C Meyler, D McCurry (0-2), C McAliskey (1-3, 3f,), M Bradley (0-3, 3f). Subs – M Donnelly for McCann, R McNamee for Monroe, S Cavanagh (0-1) for Mulgrew, P McNulty for Meyler, B Tierney for McGeary, R O’Neill (0-2, 1f) for McAliskey
Fermanagh – C Snow, M Jones, A Breen, P McGovern, D McCusker, J McMahon, C Jones (0-1), E Donnelly, C Cullen, B Mulrone, C Flaherty (0-1), P McCusker, R Corrigan, S Quigley (0-6, 5f), T Corrigan. Subs – N Cassidy for R Corrigan, P Cadden for McGovern, E McManus (0-1) for P McCusker, D Teague for T Corrigan, R Hanna for D McCusker
Referee – R Barry, Down
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